Our Knowledge, Our Power draws on values of respect, local expertise, grassroots process and true democracy to make real, meaningful change in the terribly unfair and exploitative system of public assistance in New York State, which keeps people dependent and poor.

We try to counteract the alienation and lack of respect that public assistance "beneficiaries" often encounter by sharing information and resources to bridge the gap between public assistance recipients and workers/politicians/the general public.

We believe we can bridge this gap by drawing on our collective power to:

o Empower people most directly impacted by the social service system;
o Enlighten people about their rights in the system;
o Provide tools for navigating the system;
o Help with the application process;
o Facilitate knowledge sharing; and
o Share our needs, challenges and aspirations with other members of the community.